PENTECOST METHODIST CHURCH

LIVE-IT-OUT GUIDE

PMC BIBLE MARATHON: SESSION 4

Digging Deeper into Scripture

Read Exodus 33:7 – 34:9

1) Consider the context from Ex 19:1 – 33:6 (an outline is provided in the Appendix). In today’s passage, we see Moses interceding with God for the people of Israel. At this point, what has gone wrong between God and the Israelites?

2) How does Ex 33:7-11 describe Moses’ interaction with God? How does this compare to the rest of the Israelites?

3) Consider Moses’ intercession in Ex 33:12-23. What does Moses ask for and on what basis does he ask these things?

4) How does the revelation of God’s character in Ex 34:5-7 give Moses the assurance that God would indeed go with the Israelites?

MAIN IDEA: If possible, as a LG, agree on a sentence that captures the main idea for Exodus 33:7 – 34:9.

LINK TO THE NEW TESTAMENT: There is something mysterious about the mediation of Moses in this section. We know that he has found favour with the LORD such that he enjoys unlimited perfect access to him and yet we also know that Moses is still a sinner like everyone else (Ex 33:20). Surely then, God is using Moses to foreshadow a future individual, who will enjoy this kind of pure access to Himself, but without any sin or guilt. The New Testament shows us that this person is Christ Jesus, who was in the beginning with God (John 1:2), and who is supremely loved by the Father (Matthew 3:17; 17:5). Just as Moses desires to share this access, so too does Jesus, praying to the Father that it might be so (John 17:25-26) and going to the cross to win it for us. Moreover, the access that Christ wins for us is far superior to that which Moses made possible (2 Corinthians 3; Hebrews 8:1-7).

APPLICATION: How can we live out Exodus 33:7 – 34:9 in the coming week? How can we apply this Main Idea to our lives?

APPENDIX

OUTLINE (Exodus 19:1 – 33:6)

[Ex 19:1 – 24:18] – God makes a covenant with Israel at Mt Sinai

o [Ex 19:1 - 19:9] – Having arrived at Mt Sinai, God speaks to the people of Israel through Moses, promising them that Israel would be His “treasured possession” (19:5), “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (19:6) if they were willing to obey His voice and keep His covenant. All the Israelites agree to this (19:8).

o [Ex 19:10 – 19:25] – God gives instructions for how the Israelites are to meet Him at Mt Sinai.

o [Ex 20:1 – 23:19] – God gives Israel the law.

- [Ex 20:1-17] – The Ten Commandments.

- [Ex 20:18-21] – The Israelites are afraid to hear from God directly.

- [Ex 20:22-26] – Laws about altars.

- [Ex 21:1 – 23:9] – Laws about civil rights and social justice.

- [Ex 23:10-19] – Laws about the Sabbath and festivals.

- [Ex 23:20-32] – Conquest of Canaan promised; God gives instructions for conquering Canaan.

o [Ex 24:1-18] – Moses and the elders confirm the covenant with God; the elders and the people behold God at Mt Sinai.

[Ex 25:1 – 31:18] – God provides plans for Him to dwell among the Israelites.

o [Ex 25:1-9] – God initiates plans for the Israelites to build a sanctuary, so that He can dwell among them.

o [Ex 25:10-22] – Instructions for the Ark of the Covenant.

o [Ex 25:23-30] – Instructions for the bread of the Presence table.

o [Ex25:31-40] – Instructions for the golden lampstand.

o [Ex 26:1-37] – Instructions for the Tabernacle.

o [Ex 27:1-8] – Instructions for the bronze altar.

o [Ex 27:9-19] – Instructions for the court of the Tabernacle.

o [Ex 27:20-21] – Instructions for the oil and the lamp.

o [Ex 28:1-43] – Instructions for the priestly garments.

o [Ex 29:1-46] – Instructions for consecrating the priests.

o [Ex 30:1-10] – Instructions for the altar of incense.

o [Ex 30:11-16] – Instructions for the census tax.

o [Ex 30:17-21] – Instructions for the bronze basin.

o [Ex 30:22-38] – Instructions for the anointing oil and incense.

o [Ex 31:1-11] – God appoints Oholiab and Bezalel as abled craftsman.

o [Ex 31:12-18] – Instructions for the Sabbath.

[Ex 32:1 – 33:6] – The Israelites break their covenant with God by worshipping the golden calf, thereby causing God’s anger to break out against them.

o [Ex 32:1-6] – With Aaron’s help, the Israelites make a golden calf and worship it, thereby breaking their covenant with God.

o [Ex 32:7-10] – God informs Moses of Israel’s sin and expresses His intention to consume the Israelites in His anger.

o [Ex 32:11-14] – Moses intercedes with God and God relents from destroying the people.

o [Ex 32:15-29] – In seeing the great sin of the Israelites, Moses breaks the 2 tablets, rebukes Aaron and gathers the Levites to kill 3000 men in the camp.

o [Ex 32:30-35] – Moses intercedes with God again, but God promises judgment and sends a plague on the Israelites.

o [Ex 33:1-6] – God commands the Israelites to leave Sinai and promises to give them the land of Canaan, but God Himself will not go up with them. Upon hearing this, the Israelites mourn bitterly.